The Blades Anew
by BladesuntilDelphine
Summary: Once a member of a group of warriors sword to protect the Emperor, Kasuld wakes up after two hundred years, dug up to find the world a very different place than when he left. The Blades crushed, his home being torn apart from the inside, and he finds himself an important pawn in a dangerous game that is being played, will Kasuld achieve his goal of restoring The Blades Anew?
1. Prologue: Chapter One

**Middas, 17** **th** **of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 8:00am**

I leaned against the support in the guard tower, looking out over Cyrodiil. Cloud Ruler Temple had one of the best views; you could look all the way to the Imperial City, although you could see the White-Gold Tower from almost anywhere in Cyrodiil.

Sighing, I gazed out, wondering what would happen to things now that Martin Septim was dead, consumed by Akatosh when he let himself become the god's avatar to beat Mehrune Dagon to Oblivion – literally. The main good thing about that was that there were no more gates opening to let Daedra pillage in the mortal word anymore. Only reason the town of Bruma wasn't smoking as he looked out was because of Jarow, current Grandmaster of the Blades, leader of the Fighter's Guild, Hero of Kvatch, and one of my best friends.

Jarow was a skinny little Bosmer, but he was stronger than he looked. Despite his small size, he carried a shiny, black longsword made of a strange dark metal that he called "Umbra". The sword looked cursed, almost threatening. His armor couldn't be more fitting to his sword: it was just as black and haunted-looking. It was a set of Ebony armor with intricate designs all over it with a matching shield.

Jarow closed a Gate that had opened outside the town, possibly saving it and in the process, teaching the Bruma Guard how to close it if another opened. A bit later, what Jarrow called a "Great Gate" Opened in a field near Bruma, but this was helpful to whatever Jarow and Martin Septim were doing. I was never told the actual details of what happened, as I was assigned patrol duty here at the Temple, but from what I'd heard, a horde of Daedra flooded out of the Gate to be met with a small army. All I know is that we were successful in whatever those two were doing.

"You know being up this early in the morning rots your brain," Jarow yawned, making me jump out of my skin. Despite his heavy, clunky armor, Jarow was the sneakiest person in Cyrodiil. He could walk up behind you, cut off your ear, and walk away and you would be none the wiser. He chuckled as I put my hand on my chest, trying to regain my breath.

"Talos damn it, Jarow! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I yelled once I'd gotten my breathing under control.

"Oh, don't be a wuss. You'll be fine. Now come on, I heard of a vampire den southeast of Bruma, a place called Gutted Mine. Sounds fun," Jarow said, delight in his eyes.

"Who told you about this place?" I asked. He was far too eager for this; something was pushing him to clear the place out.

"Oh… Um…" He fumbled, "A… A friend… Yeah, a friend told me about it, said they'd been attacking travelers." He smiled up at me, hope in his eyes that I'd buy it. I didn't, but I knew that if I didn't help him, he'd go on his own and taking down a vampire den wasn't easy.

"Oh, alright," I agreed, "But I'm on lookout duty until noon. You're going to have to wait, _Grandmaster_ ," I finished, putting emphasis on the last word to remind him of his duties.

"Don't you talk to me with that tone," He said defensively, glaring up at me. "I know my job, and I'm glad you know yours. Just because I want to do this doesn't mean I'm going to ignore everything else that needs my attention. I'll see you at the front gate a bit after noon. Bring your sharpest katana and your best gear; don't want you turning into a vampire, huh?" He said, laughing.

As I watched his back I thought, " _Maybe being a vampire would be cool… Nah, I couldn't harm an innocent person for my own personal needs. Still… To be able to sneak around like Jarow and raise the dead, it sounds like- No. Put those thoughts out of your head, Kasuld. You do NOT need to be thinking about this before you head into a vampire den."_

Sighing, I looked back out toward the Imperial City, determined to stay awake. Maybe Jarow was right about that brain thing…

* * *

 **AN: Hello! I am your writer, at your service and this is my story. I know that on the summary, it says it takes place in Skyrim, and it does. For the most part. Right now, it, the Prologue, shall take place in Oblivion, after the Crisis was over, although that's kind of obvious. Anyways, I just wanted to say that just in case anything was misunderstood. Now good night, my fare peoples, for I must continue with my work!**  
~BUD (Blades Until Delphine)


	2. Prologue: Chapter Two

**Loredas, 17th of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 12:58pm**

Finally we were outside the mine. After three days of traveling, we were outside the wooden door that led into the mine. We had gotten there pretty fast, the little elf struggling to match my long strides the entire way. He'd filled my ears up with complaints about me walking so fast but I just walked a bit fast and he was more focused on keeping his breathing in check to complain.

"Well… This is it, you ready?" He asked, looking pretty pumped for it. He still wouldn't tell me who actually told him to clear the place out or why he was so excited to do it. I wasn't going inside there without an answer.

"Before we do, answer me this: Why are we here?" I demanded, stooping down so I was right in his face.

He immediately started looking everywhere but my face. "I…Uh… Don't know what you're talking about. I told you, they're taking travelers…" He stuttered, still not meeting my eyes.

I pressed him against the wall, picking him up to my eye level by the shoulders of his armor. "I am not going in there without an answer. Why. Are. We. Here?" I demanded again, shaking his shoulders with each word.

His shoulders sagged and he looked down in defeat. "Azura… Some of her followers turned into vampires so she wants them… So she wants them exterminated," He finished, looking down.

I gently set him down, got down to his level so we were eye-to-eye, and then smacked him across the face as hard as I could. When he looked at me with utter confusion and a bit of anger, I shrugged. "That's for not telling me we were doing this for a Daedra," I answered his unsaid question: Why?! "And this…" I said, picking him up in a hug, "Is to let you know that if you become a fanatic of her, I am going to slap you again, but I don't care that you do this for Azura."

I set him down once more and he looked up at me with grateful eyes. "Thank you, Kasuld. I know it isn't easy for you to understand, but I grew up worshipping her in Morrowind. This is my chance to prove I am worthy to be her champion. This really does mean a lot to me."

"Hey, no problem, I'm happy to help. But know that if you do become a fanatic instead of just a regular worshipper, I'm going to slap you again… with my bare fist."

"But that's a…" He stopped, understanding coming to his eyes. "Okay, alright. No fanaticism for me."

"That's a good boy. Now let's kill some vampires," I said, grinning.

Holding my torch up to light the way, we walked about halfway down the corridor which was at a decline. "Sure is dark down he-Yegh!" Jarow grabbed the back of my Blades Armor yanked me back.

For a Nord of my size, it was quite a feat that the little Bosmer was able to pull me back. Then again, this is the elf that closed dozens of Oblivion Gates, fighting through hordes of Daedra to get the Sigil Stone from each one; and also the one who fought Mankar Camoran and his two children. "What in Oblivion?!" I cried out as he pulled me back.

Raising a finger to his lips, he pointed at the tripwire I almost stepped on. Carefully cutting it so it wouldn't trigger, he pointed down the corridor, cupped his ear for me to listen closely, and put out the torch, sending us into almost darkness as there was a light coming from ahead.

Looking around, I realized I couldn't see Jarow anywhere. He'd melted into the shadows. Remembering he motioned for me to listen closely, I heard a voice muttering to itself from further down on the passage. Slowly walking down the corridor, I found a Nord woman in fur armor with an iron short sword in her hand that she was fidgeting with and a fur shield on her other arm.

Walking up behind her, I was planning to take her out quietly so as not to get all of the other vampires attacking me at once. However, I forgot to take in account the vampire's enhanced senses. She spun around when I was a yard away, katana poised to strike. She flung some sort of spell at me that I dodged. I lunged forward, sinking my blade into her chest, where her heart was, before quickly spinning around and decapitating her, making sure she couldn't come back from the dead.

"Bit overkill, don't you say?" Jarow's voice said from the shadows, making me jump for the second time that day.

"For the love of all that's holy, will you stop doing that? Scares the shit out of me," I said, glaring at where his voice came from.

"Over here," He said, coming from the complete opposite direction I was looking.

"What the… You know what, not even questioning it anymore. Oh and it wasn't overkill. I was just making sure she doesn't come back from the dead."

"You stabbed her heart, that's pretty hard to come back from," He said, giving me a look I couldn't determine.

"Superstition, I guess. Now let's get this over with. Place gives me the creeps."

We continued on and found a lit area, it looked like an actual mine instead of a cave, with the wooden beams on the ceiling and wall. I was going to go forward but Jarow indicated a small passage and we went through it instead. It led to an open area with wooden pillars holding up the ceiling and a wooden wall. Motioning for me to stay put and be quiet, Jarow crept along the side of the wooden wall, where anyone on the other side couldn't see him and poked his head around the corner. He looked back and held up two fingers meaning two vampires. Then he pointed to me, meaning there was a heavy armored one. Peeking around again, he turned back around and pulled out a feather, meaning a light armored one. Nodding, I went to the other corner of the wall, waiting for his signal which was usually some animal screeching.

"SCREEEEEEEE!"

"What the fuck was that?!" Came a brutish voice, a female Orc, I deduced.

I heard heavy footsteps and then a shadow came into view, headed toward my corner. Once it'd reached a distance I assumed would be within striking-distance, I turned the corner and lunged.

But the Orc was trained and quickly raised her shield to block my katana. She swung with his axe and I raised my Blades Shield to block it. We glared at each other over our shields before both striking at each other. Our weapons met and we came in close, glaring daggers at each other while trying to overpower the other's weapon. Smirking at her, I dropped my katana, making her fall off balance from all of the power she was putting into moving it that way, and I pulled a short sword out of my belt and stuck it into the back of her head and she fell past me. I cut off her head like the first once she was on the ground.

Thinking that Jarow had taken care of the other, I relaxed, letting the tension go out my muscles for the moment when I felt a blinding pain on the back of my head. I cried out and turned around, swinging my katana. It caught in the side of a woman's head, halfway through from the force of my swing.

When her body fell, behind her stood Jarow, holding up Umbra poised to strike.

"Well, that took the fun out of that. Are you alright? Did she get you?" He asked, looking worried.

"Only a scratch, I think. Got me on the back of the head, stupid bitch," I growled, kicking her dead body.

"Hey, now, don't do that. Respect the dead, right?" He said, looking offended I kicked her.

"Why should I? She wouldn't have shown me the same respect," I argued.

"Well you're not like her, are you? No. Not by a long shot. Now, be respectful. They may be bloodthirsty vampires but they're still people… Or were."

"Whatever, let's just keep going."

Going back into the first wooden area, we saw a couple of coffins ahead and decided to check those for sleeping vampires. We broke both of the lids but none were inside.

We found another passage to the left of the coffins and decided to go through there. Continuing down it, we found a small cave with complex designs on it, but no vampires inside it so we kept walking down the passage on the other side of the cave. We found a few more empty coffins but no vampires when the passage came to a dead end.

We went back to where I killed the Orc and Imperial woman and found that it was just wall at the back of it. There were no more vampires and I was ready to leave but Jarow wasn't satisfied.

"No, no, no! Azura told me there were five vampires. Not three, _five_! Where are the other two?" He cried, looking desperate. He really wanted to prove himself to Azura if he was this desperate.

As he was mumbling about him failing, I notice a string on the back wall. Walking over to it, I pulled it downward and a rock wall slid open.

"Um, Jarow."

"I'm a failure, failure!"

"Jarow.."

"I am not worthy as Azura's champion, because those two vampires aren't here!"

I walked over to him and slapped him hard across the face. He just stared back at me in surprise.

"Pull it together! Look!" I pointed to where the wall came away.

"You did it! They must be down there! Thank you! Come on, let's finish these bloodsuckers."

We went through the wall and it led to a decline that went into an open place, with a structure not unlike the one in the Orc room. The room was empty but I heard voices on the other side of the structure, motioning to Jarow, I moved toward the lit side and he went into the side blanketed by darkness. Peeking around the corner like before Jarow looked back at me and made the same motions as before but instead of a feather, he acted like he was pulling on a bow string, which meant one must've been an archer. Once more, we moved to the corners and I waited for his signal.

"SCREEEEEE!"

Once more: "What the fuck was that?!" Said a brutish voice, the Orc.

Like before, I waited until the shadow was within striking-distance, but I waited a bit longer so they were closer before I struck out with my short sword. I was thankful I had waited because it caught the Orc by surprise and the blade slid home right into one of his eyes, ending his short miserable life right then and there. His body crumpled to the ground and I looked past him, where an Altmer with a bow looked surprised on the other end of an arrow. She let it fly and I raised my shield, deflecting it. She reached for her quiver to grab another but instead found a sword blade. Her eyes went wide before it went between them.

Jarow stood behind her, looking very pleased with himself.

"So what, that's four for me and one for you?" I said with a smirk, laughing at the glare he gave me.

"Let's just get out of here. I need to get back to Azura and you need to get back to Cloud Ruler. Bet they miss you there."

"Aye, probably; no one likes to do lookout duty so they always stick it to me because they know I won't complain. Alright, let's go," I said.

When we were outside, Jarow turned and held out his hand. I took it and we shook, him giving me a grateful look before saying his thanks once more for helping him become Azura's champion. He went on his way; the Shrine to Azura was apparently northwest of Cheydinhal.

I sighed and went the other way, back to Bruma and the Cloud Ruler Temple. I bet as soon as I got there, I'd be stuck with lookout duty.


	3. Prologue: Chapter Three

**Morndas,** **19th of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 11:43pm**

Two days after Jarow and I split ways after clearing out that den of vampires. For some reason, ever since we went our separate ways, I had been getting tired easier and easier. I knew there was a shrine to Talos at the Temple but it was so far away. I could barely see Bruma in the distance, and that was only because of the lights from the city's walls. They'd made sure that no more Gates or otherwise would catch them unawares again and so reinforced the walls, set more patrols, and put more torches and bonfires along the walls. Hopefully they kept it up because with there being no Emperor, any forces could come and try to invade.

I stumbled along the path, desperately needing to get there and get to the shrine, something was wrong with me. I hurt all over and my strength seemed to be fading away at a rapid pace for some reason, which wasn't right since I was in great physical position, for a Nord of my size. I dropped to the ground, unable to go on. The back of my head was throbbing with pain, where that stupid vampire had struck me when I thought Jarow had taken care of her. I was on my hands and knees, trying to keep from passing out from the pain. I tried to call out, there were usually traders on this road, but none came or heard. I dropped to my stomach, eyes becoming blurry as my vision went. I felt myself passing out and I fought as hard as I could but the darkness was taking over, I could see it at the edges of my vision.

Then, everything went black.

I was plagued by hallucinations and nightmares, everything coming and going just as fast but nonetheless horrifying. I saw my family members before they turned into monstrosities coming at me, monsters with my friend's faces, laughing at me, screeching at me. Every worst thought or dream I'd ever had became reality before my eyes.

I felt hot, burning, like I was being cooked. I looked down and found myself in a giant pot, water boiling with vegetables floating around. I looked up and saw the vampire who scratched me laughing down at me, fangs reflecting the light, shining. I looked away, covering my head with my arms to protect myself. I backed up to get away from her and tripped over a vegetable and fell into a hole that went on and on, never ending.

Finally, I landed on a bed, the soft sheets and pillows reducing my fall. I sighed and relaxed in the bed, it somehow soothing, reminding me of home. I smiled and closed my eyes, turning on my side to go to sleep. I opened my eyes and found a dark, shadowy figure standing over me, laughing softly. I smiled up at them and looked back at my pillow and hugged it, rubbing my face on it, enjoying the feel of it.

The figure cocked its head at me before leaping on my neck, sinking fangs into it. I sighed contently, ignoring the blinding pain from the bite, the embrace of the bed making the pain drown down to an itch instead.

I hugged my pillow harder and felt the shadow pull off of my neck, grunting when the blood stopped flowing down their throat. They faded out of view and I fell asleep in the comfortable bed, once more returning to the darkness

 **Tirdas,** **20th of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 9:12am**

I sat up straight in the bed, sweat dripping from my forehead, looking around alarmed. I was in a room, the door on the other side, a table in the middle with four chairs, a few pieces of assorted furniture placed around the room, and a fireplace on one wall blazing with a roaring fire.

I remembered the pot, the figure, the bed, the bite. I reached for my neck and found two small holes on there. I freaked out, getting out of the bed, but fell as soon as I stood straight up, my legs weak as a new babe. I hit the floor and the breath went right out of me.

As I lay there, catching my breath, a door in the room opened and I heard a soft, "Oh."

I looked up and saw the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She was a Nordic beauty, blonde, almost pale, hair down to the middle of her back, eyes that looked like sapphires of the deepest blue, red, full lips just begging to be kissed; she was wearing a rose red wool dress that swished around her bare feet and a golden locket with a ruby in the middle hung around her graceful neck.

She set down the bowl of what smelled like soup on the table and rushed to my side, sliding her slender arms underneath mine and lifted me up back onto the bed, resting against the wall. For such a slender woman, she sure was strong.

I realized my mouth was hanging open, still in awe from her beauty, and I quickly closed it, it shutting with an audible 'plop'. She noticed and blushed, focusing on wiping the sweat from my brow with a rag instead.

"Are you alright?" She asked me, looking worried. "I didn't expect you to be awake so soon."

I nearly ascended to the Divines, her voice was heavenly. It was almost as if she was singing when she spoke. I managed, "Yeah, I… I'm fine, thank you," Before I resumed my staring at her.

She noticed and blushed deeply; smiling at me before she went and retrieved the bowl she had set on the table. She came back and sat next to me on the bed, raising an eyebrow when I reached for it. She hesitantly gave it to me, making sure I had the strength to hold it before she let go.

We sat in silence as I ate the broth, her cooking almost as delightful as her looks. I kept sneaking glances at her and every time, she'd be staring straight back, those blue eyes glistening in the light.

"So..." She started, looking nervous. "By your armor and katana, I'm guessing you are a Blade, yes?"

"Um yes, I am. Do my comrades know I'm here? And where is my equipment? They are probably getting worried. I'm usually not gone this long, I know Jauffre especially will be anxious for my return, the man raised me. Well, he's not my father, but he took me in and… I'm rambling. Where is my equipment?" I completed, feeling like a fool.

"It is in the other room but I am not so sure you should be moving anywhere. I will send a messenger to Cloud Ruler Temple with the news of your whereabouts, so they will not be so worried as you say. Will that appease you?"

"Yes, thank you…" I trailed off, realizing I didn't ask her for her name.

"Kirine. My name is Kirine," She finished for me, smiling that wonderful smile at me.

"I'm Kasuld," I replied, holding my hand out.

She slid her small hand into mine, and shook it. I motioned to her to help me up and she grasped my hand more firmly and pulled me to my feet. Once more, she was a lot stronger than she looked.

When I was standing, we were face-to-face, barely half a foot away, she looked surprised, not expecting me to get up as quickly as I did, expecting me to fall again. I looked down at her, her being a head shorter than me, and leaned down to kiss her, unable to resist any longer. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me back, her hands going into my hair. I wrapped my arms around her waist and hoisted her up, her wrapping her legs around my waist when I did. I pushed her against the wall and kissed my way down to her neck, nibbling as I did so; she moaned into my ear and that encouraged me to keep going.

I got halfway down her neck when I felt a strange feeling come to me, one foreign. It wasn't the feeling of desire or anything that I'd felt before when I was with a woman but something new. I ignored it and went back to what I was doing but the feeling came back even stronger this time. Once more, I ignored it, but I was beginning to feel light-headed.

Then it took complete control; I bit her neck, making her moan louder, but for some reason, I couldn't stop. I kept biting harder, and harder, and harder until it drew blood.

"Um… Kasuld...Ah… That hurts… Kasuld, Kasuld! Stop, that hurts!" She cried, but I couldn't stop, I couldn't control it.

I became a passenger to my own body, new instincts taking over, making me bite harder and harder until I ripped her neck open, and started drinking the blood that poured out of it. She sagged against the wall, a dead look in her eyes but I couldn't stop, I drank and drank until she was devoid of blood and life. Once she was drained, I dropped her body, still not in control of my body, and walked towards the door, preparing to do the same to whoever was in the vicinity. Finally, I managed to fight the instincts and broke free of the spell that was over my body. Doing that drained all of my strength and I fell to the floor, darkness filling the edges of my vision.

Before the darkness consumed me once more, all I saw was Kirine's lovely face, staring back at me with an expression of utter horror.


	4. Prologue: Chapter Four

**Middas,** **21st of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 12:45am**

I woke up in the floor of Kirine's house, wondering where I was before the memories of last night flooded back into my mind. I looked over to where Kirine's body was, her beautiful face filled with such terror that I couldn't stand to look at her. I murdered her. Even worse, I drank her blood after ripping her throat open. I was a monster.

I went to the mirror hanging on the wall next to the door and inspected myself: I had the same short-cropped brown hair, ice blue eyes, short and well-trimmed beard and mustache, same face. It all looked the same but something was different. I just couldn't place my finger on it. Then I opened my mouth and figured it out. I had fangs, long, pointy, deadly fangs that I used last night to rip her throat out.

That's when it hit me: the nightmares and hallucinations. The vampire that hit me with her _claws_ was there, laughing over me as I struggled. She infected me with Porphyric Hemophilia when she hit me. That was why I was so weak the past few days, why I murdered Kirine.

Thinking of her pained me, she was so beautiful, I nearly fell for her in the first five seconds of seeing her, but none of that would happen now because I'd murdered her. I walked over to her body and picked her small corpse up, realizing how perfect she felt in my hands.

Sighing, I slung her body over my shoulder and took her outside. Looking around, I found we were in the middle of the woods, the house in the middle of a small farm near Bleaker's Way Goodwill Inn, which I could see from a distance. I went behind the house and found a woodcutting block. Perfect.

 **Middas,** **21st of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 1:45am**

An hour later, I was on my way, with all my gear on and a new bag slung over my shoulder. I skirted around the town and kept going toward Bruma, hoping I wouldn't run into anyone I knew on the way there.

Once I was out of sight from anyone from Bleaker's, I looked around to see if anyone was following me, traveling the same way and didn't see anyone. I diverted off the path to the right, headed toward an Ayleid ruin named Anga.

It was basically just a bunch of ruined pillars and then a door leading to under chambers but what was guarding it was what I wanted. This place almost always had some creature guarding it; creatures that would be happy for what was in my bag.

When I reached the door, I heard growling. Turning around, I found what I was looking for: A troll. The big, hairy beast was glaring at me with hate in its three eyes. That was, until I swung the bag in front of his face. Then that turned to curiosity.

I threw the bag to him and he caught it, ripping it to shreds and finding a meal within it. While it was busy devouring the remains of one of the most beautiful women I'd ever met, I made my getaway, running back to the road. I kept walking once I got to it like nothing had ever happened.

"Who was in that bag?" Said a voice behind me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin hearing a voice, especially _that_ voice. I turned around and found Jarow standing there, Umbra out and pointed at the ground, glaring at me.

"What? What're you… What're you talking about?" I stuttered, starting to sweat nervously.

"Who. Was in. That bag?" He asked again slowly, taking a few steps closer to me, Umbra coming up from the ground a few inches.

"No one…" I said, before realizing it was useless. He'd seen it. He'd seen her remains in the bag. He'd seen me throw it to the troll. He saw. "Her name was Kitrine. She was beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world..."

"Then why was she in that bag?" He questioned, Umbra dropping back down once he heard the sorrow in my voice.

"Remember, when we were fighting those vampires, and that one, she scratched me? Well, I didn't realize it at the time but she infected me… With Porphyric Hemophilia. I'm vampire, Jarow. I'm a monster. I murdered… I _drained_ that beautiful woman. I'm… I'm a monster," I forced out, falling to my knees, tears streaming down my face.

Jarow sheathed Umbra and came to my side, putting his arms around me. I pushed him away as soon as I smelled his blood. "No! Stay away, I might… I might attack you too, like I did her…"

Jarow looked at me and sighed. "There's no known cure for vampirism. The only known way is death, Kasuld. What're we going to do?"

"We? What do you mean, we?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Well, you're my best friend; I'm not abandoning you just you became a bloodsucker without knowing it. I'm going to help you in any way I can. But I'm not going to let you murder anyone. No way, not after you helped me achieve my dream," He said, looking at me.

"She made you her champion?" I asked, astounded.

"After giving her some Glow Dust, which I found on some Will-O-Wisps nearby, yes, she did. She gave me her artifact: Azura's Star," He boasted proudly, pulling a circular disk with designs covering it and wavy extensions coming out from every side.

"Wow…" I said in awe, "Are the stories true? You can capture a soul in it and it won't be used up like a regular Soul Gem?"

"Yes, sir," He bragged, putting the Star away. His face went from happy to sad as he remembered my predicament again. "We have to figure out what we're going to do with you. I'm not letting you kill yourself, and I'm not killing you so what're we going to do?"

"Hmm…" I pondered my situation, pacing back and forth upon the road. Then an idea came to me, one that might work. "You're a master blacksmith, right?"

"Yes I am, why?"

"Could you make me a metal coffin?" I asked, my idea starting to form.

A light of understanding came to his eyes. "Yes, I could. What are you thinking?" He questioned curiously.

"I'm thinking that, if you make one, we could go to some place no one would go to, some place remote, and bury me in there after you cover it with multiple locks and chains so that I won't have second thoughts and be able to get out if I freak out. That way, I can't harm anyone, you don't have to kill me, and no one else gets hurt!" I completed excitedly, even though it meant me being locked in a metal coffin forever.

"But… You'll be in the darkness, awake, forever, Kasuld. Are you sure you want to do that? It'll be awful lonely and depressing," Jarow reminded me.

"Yes, but it'll be worth it to spare the lives of innocents," I said, determined to do this. I couldn't let anything like what happened with Kirine happen again.

 **Fredas,** **24th of Sun's Dawn, 4E 01 5:00am**

I stood next to my grave with the metal case within, the locks and bolts undone, lid open for me to get into it, in a valley on the border of Cyrodiil and Skyrim, between to mountains, as remote an area you could get. The field in which I stood looked so beautiful, the flowers just coming into bloom, even with the snow that trickled down on the ground, they bloomed. It showed that you had to adapt to survive and to grow. I smiled when I saw a spot of black coming closer, Jarow with his Ebony Armor standing out against the flowers.

He spoke once he finally reached me, telling me of the news that had happened: "Alright, I told the Blades you had to go somewhere across the sea. That if anyone in the distant future comes back, claiming to be you that have to answer this question: 'Where doth the metal case lie?' And the answer is: 'Between the two peaks between the warm and cold.' Got it?"

"Yes. I'll try to set myself into a self-induced coma with a few potions I made… If that doesn't work, I guess I'll be alone with my thoughts. What did you do with my armor and katana?" I asked, curious. I don't really know his reason for taking them; I guess he put my sword in the Great Hall in Cloud Ruler Temple, where fallen soldiers usually go.

"I put your sword in the Temple," He said, confirming my thoughts, "And I put your armor in a chest under the floorboards in my room, so that if anything ever happens to me, it'll always be there. Okay?"

"Okay," I replied, holding out my arm. He took it and we grasped each other's forearms, before it turning into a hug. "I'm going to miss you; you're like a brother to me. I really appreciate all you've done for me. Thank you."

"Right back at you, good-bye, Kasuld. I'll see you in the next life, brother," He said, smiling at me with teary eyes.

I lowered myself into the coffin and looked up at him one last time. "Good-bye, brother."

Then he closed the lid and the darkness returned once more.


	5. Chapter 1

**Loredas,** **14th of Last Seed, 4E 201 3:00am**

Archeologist and historian, Dunmer Naren Soran, finally finished setting up his markers, outlining where he thought the Hero of Kvatch had buried his treasure. Everyone told him he was mad, that he was crazy, that the Hero had left everything at Cloud Ruler Temple, where he served as the Grandmaster. But Naren _knew_ that there was something was buried here by the Hero.

According to his records, the Hero had bought a ton of steel two hundred years ago but the metal was never recorded in the Blades' Storage so that lead Naren to believe that he used it to build a chest in which he buried his treasure in. He visited Bruma and talked to an Altmer named Karinnare who lived in Bruma during the time that the Hero lived and said that she saw him and some others loading a metal case into the back of a carriage one night, having been there to get some money that a Blade owed her, and that it headed toward the mountains.

Normally, he would've scoured Skyrim until he found it but he'd made a wrong turn and found himself in the remote valley he was in now. What better place to bury treasure than here?

He found the rough area where the Hero buried it because everywhere in the snow, flowers shone through, but in a rough area of about fourteen feet by ten, everything was dead. It was like whatever he buried in the ground resonated death and killed the flowers that grew near it.

Naren was getting giddy; he was so close to finding it! He was going to be rich! Oh all of those naysayers who said he was mad were wrong! Those fools at the Mages Guild before it fell apart, his now ex-wife, all of his friends who said he was mad, he would show them!

He picked up his shovel and started digging feverishly, desperately needing the case to be down there.

 **Loredas,** **14th of Last Seed, 4E 201 5:00am**

Two hours later and there was a giant, square hole in the ground. In the center, Naren was still digging, using the spell Frenzy on himself every now and then to keep his energy going, nearly close to tears at not finding anything but having to hope that he would soon find the chest.

He thrust the shovel down into the soil and heard a solid 'thunk'. His face lit up with joy with a bit of relief. He hit something! He continued digging, hearing more and more hits every time he plunged the shovel into the ground. The only time he stopped was to get one of the torches lining the pit to put it next to him.

The first piece of metal reflected the light, pointing itself out to Naren. He squealed like a little boy and jumped to it, brushing the dirt away. His joy turned to confusion when he found it was a chain. Why would a chain be on a chest?

It didn't make sense. Setting that aside in his mind, he went back to work, clearing the dirt away from the metal until he found the sides. It got even stranger when he stood back from it to get a higher point of view and found it a coffin. A steel coffin with chains wrapped all around it. That explained the steel the Hero bought, but why a coffin? And why all of the chains? Who was he trying to keep out?

And then it hit him like a wall of bricks: It's not who he was trying to keep out, but what he was trying to keep _in_. What was it? An evil weapon with the mind of its own? A piece of armor, cursed? Or… He chose the coffin for a reason. What was in it?

He climbed out of the pit and retrieved a Elven axe from his supplies. It was recently made by a smith in Bruma, a Nord. Claimed to be the best there was. Every smith did. He jumped down into the pit, landing softly. He stalked toward the coffin, wonder and crazy in his eyes. He reached the side, looking down.

He raised the axe as far back as he could with falling over and brought it down upon one of the many chains, snapping it in half. He reached down and moved it to the side so he wouldn't hit it again before repeating the swing on another. He continued this process for half an hour and even then he wasn't halfway through the chains. The Hero _really_ didn't want whatever was in the coffin to be free. There were over fifty chains upon the coffin.

 **One hour later…**

The sun was just beginning to rise as the last chain snapped.

Naren moved to the opposite side of the coffin, mania in his eyes. It was like Sheogorath had taken over his mind, filling him with thoughts of wonder and treasure; he was nearly insane with greed.

Swinging the lid open, he froze, confused. Inside was black. It looked like an endless void into Sithis' realm, also named the Void. Grasping the axe under the blade, Neron poked at the void. He hit something solid, plushy, almost like…

Two glowing red eyes opened at the top of the coffin, glaring straight at Neron. Neron screamed and dropped the axe, falling onto the ground, clambering away, eyes wide with fear. _That_ was not what he was expecting at all. But he had a sinking feeling in his gut. _This_ was what the Hero wanted to keep from everyone, this is what he was hiding. He heard popping, like someone cracking their neck, and a sigh of relief.

"By Talos, I needed that. Fuck!" Said a voice, coming from the coffin. A man sat up, dark brown hair sticking up in every direction, beard unkempt. Cracking his neck again, he looked over at where Neron was cowering and smiled, fangs shining and making Neron wimper. "Hey, what year is it?" The vampire asked, rather politely.

"Two… Two hundred and one..." Neron squeaked, deathly afraid for his life.

"Damn! Two hundred years? My, how the years have flown in that thing. You got any animals? Goats, chickens, cows? Hello?" The vampire asked, waving over at Neron when he didn't move or say anything except stare at the vampire.

"I've got a… a few chickens…" He stuttered.

"Wonderful! You mind if I kill them? Don't worry, I won't eat them, I'll leave that for you. I just need a little… something, if you know what I mean. Two hundred years can make someone really thirsty. Oh! I'm forgetting my manners, what's your name?"

"…Neron…"

"Well, hello Neron, I am Kasuld. Very nice to meet you," He said, smiling politely at Neron as he climbed out, his joints and everything possible popping very loudly.

Kasuld climbed to the edge of the pit and peeked over, seeing the sun he hissed in pain and retreated back down. "Fuck that hurts. You better be glad you're not what I am, hate being only able to move around at night. Sun hurts like hell. Mind doing me a favor and getting those chickens for me?"

Naren just nodded and climbed out, grabbing the chickens roughly by the neck and breaking their windpipes, ending their lives. He picked up the spit from his back and brought it down into the pit, along with a small tent.

"Thanks, friend. Mind telling me what's gone on in the last two centuries while I've been away?" He questioned Neron, sinking his teeth into the chickens.

"Um… Let me set up the tent first…" Neran said, regaining his senses. Being the scholar he was, he could gain insight as to where the Hero left treasures if the Hero was friends with this vampire enough to bury him, he might know where he kept his valuables

"Oh, how very thoughtful of you, friend," Kasuld said gratefully, tossing one chicken on the ground and picking up the other. Before he plunged his fangs in the bird, he looked back up to Neran. "Say, friend. Do you know if the Blades still inhabit Cloud Ruler Temple?"

Neran looked up from the tent, confused. "Um yes I do, and no they don't… The Blades were destroyed by the Aldmeri Dominion during the Great War, along with the Temple."

"Great War? What is this Great War you talk about? And what is this Aldmeri Dominion?" Kasuld demanded, alarmed.

Neran realized this was going to go on a while so he said, "Let me finish putting up the tent, then we can speak. Alright?"

"Alright…" Kasuld replied, deeply troubled by this news. He went to bite into the chicken again before he stopped once more. "Do you know if Jarow, the Grandmaster, still lives? I know Bosmer tend to live for a long time. Do you know?" He asked, hopeful.

"Jarow? The Hero of Kvatch?" Naren inquired, interested.

"Yes, him! Is he alive?" Kasuld asked again, his hopes rising.

"No, I'm sorry. Reports say he, or at least the current Grandmaster at the time, died the day the Temple fell. I don't think anyone survived the attack. Did you know him?" Naren asked, his hopes of reaching some valuables rising.

"Yeah, I did," Kasuld uttered, voice full of sorrow. "He is… He was my best friend. We fought side by side during the Oblivion Crisis. I went through Oblivion for him –quite literally, I must add. I remember this one time, he was otherwise engaged with this Daedra that looked like a some sort of nightmare, like a crocodile with human arms and legs, so I had to grab the Sigil Stone to close it, but, when I did, both him and I appeared outside the Gate as it closed, along with the Daedra. It looked so confused for a second, then Jarow plunged Umbra into its guy and it disappeared back into its realm. Ah… good times…" Kasuld trailed off, looking forlorn as he reminisced on old memories.

"Were you a former Blade?" Neran asked casually, as if he met a vampire that had been trapped underground every day.

"I was the Grandmaster's right hand man, equipped with the finest armor, not these… Robes," He sneered, looking disdainfully down at his black robes. "I miss my armor. But, if these Dominion people hate the Blades so much, I guess it's a blessing I'm not wearing them, in a way."

Neran's mind started reeling with the possible gold he could make for selling this guy out to the Dominion. They paid a lot for information leading to Blades; Azura knew they'd spent thousands looking for the remaining members.

"Alright, there we go. Everything's all set up," Neran stated, finishing setting up the tent, "Time to teach you some history."

 **One Hour Later…**

"…And that's all that's happened in the last Era. You get all of that?" Neran asked, finishing his history lesson.

"Yeah, I think so, thank you, friend."

"No problem… If you don't mind me asking, am I going to leave here alive?" Neran asked nervously, "I mean you are a vampire; a rather thirsty one if I recall you saying, and I'm pretty sure those chickens didn't have that much blood in them to fill a two hundred year-old hunger."

Kasuld smiled a toothy, fangy grin at Neran. "Well, if this business with the Dominion is true, I'm afraid I cannot risk them knowing of my presence. I am very sorry, but I am going to have to kill you."

Upon finishing that sentence, Kasuld leapt upon Neran, using his strength to pin the struggling Dunmer down and forced his head to the side, exposing his neck. The sight of veins pulsing was too much for Kasuld and he sank his fangs into Neran's neck, draining him of blood. Soon, Neran went limp as his life ebbed.

Once finished, Kasuld stood, sighed, and wiped the blood from around his mouth. While draining Neran, Kasuld discovered that when he drained someone, he gained their knowledge, their experiences, and their very life through it.

What disturbed Kasuld greatly was the fact that some of the memories contained knowledge of a civil war going on in Skyrim; that a group of rebels who claimed the name "Stormcloak", after their leader, Ulfric Stormcloak, fought the Empire, a very different one than the one two hundred years ago. Kasuld was glad a historian had found his case instead of a regular person; Naren was very useful in that respect. He also learned that he had made the right decision in killing him; Naren was planning to sell him out to the Thalmor.

Peeking out from the tent, Kasuld found the sun was just above the horizon. "Damn. Well, a few more hours won't hurt, I guess." He climbed back into the coffin, closed the lid, and went back to sleep to wait for night to fall.


End file.
